Cubs Rumors: Fukudome, Prior, Roberts
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago-Sun Times checks in with the latest Cubs buzz.
- The Cubs, Padres, and White Sox are in on Kosuke Fukudome. It seems that both Chicago teams are willing to spend big bucks.
- Wittenmyer’s source indicates sparse interest in Mark Prior, though the Cubs have been shopping him. The Cubs could still choose to non-tender him on Wednesday rather than pay $3MM+. Seems like a reasonable gamble though.
- The Orioles want to figure out their plans with Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada before making a move with Brian Roberts, so talks with the Cubs have cooled. The O’s want Sean Gallagher and a outfield prospect, but not Matt Murton. Could 22 year-old Tyler Colvin be involved? Felix Pie is said to be off-limits. Colvin has drawn Steve Finley/Shawn Green comparisons from Baseball America.
Astros Tejada Trade Not Close, But Possible
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 5:01pm: MLB.com’s Alyson Footer checks in with some detail. She notes that no deal is close but it is possible. Hunter Pence, J.R. Towles, and Felipe Paulino are considered off-limits.
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 3:02pm: Still listening to 790…the message is now that the talks are in an "advanced stage" and they do not know the names involved. There’s also a question of whether Tejada would waive his no-trade. Ken Rosenthal checks in – the teams have had significant discussions and may have been on the verge at some point. But nothing is imminent.
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 1:33pm: ESPN’s Jayson Stark says Andy MacPhail has left Nashville without a deal in place. But talks about Tejada and Brian Roberts are on the frontburner. Hopefully Jeff Zrebiec will weigh in soon…
FROM 12-6-07 at 12:39pm:
790 The Sports Animal, a Houston radio station, is reporting that the Astros are close to a deal to acquire Miguel Tejada. The reported package: Adam Everett, Chris Burke, and a pitcher. Heard them saying this myself by listening online; they’re talking about it now.
The package sounds light, but maybe better if Troy Patton is the pitcher. More when I have it.
Phillies Not Getting Bedard
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 11:44am: Scott Lauber says the Phils and O’s haven’t discussed Bedard at the Meeings. However, he seems to indicate that at some point prior the O’s told the Phils they don’t have the players to get it done. Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote on Tuesday that the Phillies were initially told they didn’t match up but were still trying to get involved.
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 11:04am: Todd Zolecki of the Philadelphia Inquirer shoots this one down, writing that the Phils and Orioles have not discussed Bedard.
FROM 12-6-07 at 9:33am:
According to Joe Haggerty of the Metro out of Philadelphia, the Phillies offered Kyle Kendrick, Shane Victorino, and two unknown prospects to the Orioles for Erik Bedard and were turned down. It’s generally believed that the Phillies don’t have the young available talent Andy MacPhail seeks, but it never hurts to ask.
Erik Bedard Rumors: Wednesday
UPDATE, 12-6-07 at 1:10am: Geoff Baker believes the Mariners are still in on Bedard, and that no team has beaten their offer yet. However, that offer still may not be enough for Andy MacPhail and Co.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 1:38pm: Jon Heyman says Bedard turned down a three-year extension offer from the Orioles. He has some interesting thoughts; check it out.
Meanwhile there’s chatter of a 610 WIP report coming out of Philly about the team’s attempts to acquire Bedard. Something like Kyle Kendrick, Shane Victorino, Carlos Carrasco, and others. I don’t put much stock in this one as the Orioles could do much better.
FROM 12-5-07 at 1:59am:
Tuesday ended with 11 teams expressing interest in Erik Bedard. Let’s start a new thread for today’s rumors.
Geoff Baker cautiously names the Mariners the frontrunners for Bedard, now that the Dodgers have vowed not to give up Jonathan Broxton. He says the front office is salivating over Bedard and could offer up some combination of Adam Jones, Wladimir Balentien, Brandon Morrow, and George Sherrill.
Cubs Aggressively Pursuing Brian Roberts
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:58pm: The Baltimore Sun guys have more. The Cubs have a significant offer on the table, and it may include Gallagher and Matt Murton (but not Hill or Pie). The Cubs will have to do better than just Gallagher and Murton, I imagine. According to Jayson Stark, the Cubs would have to be blown away to trade Hill or Pie.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 10:03pm: ESPN Radio 1000’s Bruce Levine checks in to add that Ronny Cedeno would likely be involved in a Roberts deal.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 9:39pm: ESPN’s Amy Nelson says Hill is not part of the Roberts talks. Marshall, Gallagher, Felix Pie, and Donald Veal may be in the mix though.
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 8:17pm: ESPN’s Steve Phillips says the Orioles "would get Rich Hill and Sean Marshall" for Roberts. Not sure if that means the Cubs offered it. Seems like a lot, but I am an unabashed Rich Hill fan.
FROM 12-5-07 at 5:31pm:
Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun are reporting that the Cubs are aggressively pursuing the Orioles’ Brian Roberts.
A three player deal is on the table, so I assume the Cubs would send two players over. It’s known that they’d send a starting pitcher, but we don’t have names yet. The authors note that the Orioles have been fond of Rich Hill and Sean Gallagher in the past. Keep in mind that a trade of Roberts would require Peter Angelos’ approval. Per Zrebiec, Angelos would have to be "totally overwhelmed" with an offer.
The authors also note that the Orioles have talked to Tadahito Iguchi‘s agent in anticipation of a possible Roberts trade. The Padres and Dodgers would join the Orioles as his top three choices.
Cardinals Rumors: Rolen, Bedard, Tejada
UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 8:46pm: Tony La Russa had some choice words concerning Rolen tonight. Maybe they can’t coexist, after all.
FROM 12-5-07 at 8:26pm:
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently appeared on the radio. Colleague Bernie Miklasz transcribed it.
- Strauss suggests the chances of Scott Rolen being traded are around 20%. Tony La Russa might be able to co-exist with him, even if they don’t like each other. Still, the Milwaukee talks may be revisited.
- Strauss believes the Cards are sniffing around on Erik Bedard. MLB.com’s Jim Molony spoke of their interest yesterday.
- The Cardinals are revisiting Miguel Tejada.
- The Cards have their eye on a free agent outfielder and a free agent starter and are heightening interest.
Angels Not Desperate For A Third Baseman
According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Angels are telling teams they have no urgency to go out and get a third baseman after missing out on Miguel Cabrera. As far as Miguel Tejada goes, the Halos haven’t even met with the Orioles.
That said, Ken Rosenthal did indicate that the Angels are in the mix for Scott Rolen.
Latest Erik Bedard Rumors: Tuesday
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:36pm: Geoff Baker says that a Bedard trade with the Mariners would likely involve Wladimir Balentien, Adam Jones, and Brandon Morrow.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:06pm: The Dodgers met with the Orioles to talk Bedard today. Ned Colletti has pretty much deemed Broxton untouchable, and no deal is close.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 10:19pm: John Fay says the Reds are seriously pursuing Bedard. Wayne Krivsky won’t reveal much, but Fay thinks Bailey, Votto, and another prospect might interest the Orioles.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 10:16pm: The Mets again offered Heilman, Gomez, and Humber for Bedard, perhaps thinking that offering it twice would be helpful. MLB.com’s Marty Noble says the Mets may reconfigure their offer, replacing Humber with Pelfrey or Mulvey.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 4:10pm: Joel Sherman confirms the Cubs’ interest, so that’s officially 11 teams in on Bedard. Sherman says the Yankees and Mets are unlikely to snag the southpaw ace, and names the Dodgers as the frontrunner. Peter Angelos is letting Andy MacPhail run the show but doesn’t want Bedard traded within the division. Sorry Yankees and Blue Jays.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 3:10pm: Nick Cafardo notes that Cubs GM Jim Hendry and Andy MacPhail had lunch today, which leads him to believe they may have discussed Bedard. A bit of a stretch since Hendry and MacPhail used to work together. Then again the Cubs did pursue in a Mark Prior/Miguel Tejada deal a few years back. The Cubs would represent the 11th team in on Bedard.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 3:01pm: Buster Olney says the Jays continue to talk with the Orioles about Bedard, noting that the Jays have the young pitching. Bedard would certainly represent the Canadian draw they’ve been looking for.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 2:16pm: There is growing buzz that the Dodgers may get Bedard. ESPN’s Amy Nelson has a source saying a deal may be close. Matt Kemp and Jonathan Broxton would be the main pieces of a trade. Readers are reporting in that WFAN is saying the same.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 9:32am: The Mets are still hawking Gomez, trying to get Bedard. Joel Sherman adds the Tigers to the list of teams after Bedard, bringing the total to ten. He says the Tigers and Phils are getting creative trying to get Bedard. The Tigers don’t need to get that creative – they can offer Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller.
FROM 12-4-07 at 8:45am:
How many teams are after Erik Bedard? The tally yesterday included the Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, Dodgers, and D’Backs – that’s eight. The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly check in with the latest on the Orioles’ ace.
- There’s been a ton of trade interest in Bedard (as you might expect). Andy MacPhail is still talking about signing him to an extension, but no one really buys it. The package he’ll get in trade should rival what the Twins get for Johan.
- The Dodgers, Mariners, and Mets have been pursuing Bedard the most aggressively. More meetings with the Mets should occur today. The Mariners could make an intriguing offer built around Adam Jones and Brandon Morrow.
- A new team is added to bring the tally to nine: the Reds are interested. However, Jay Bruce is off the table.
Astros Rumors: Tejada, Loretta
MLB.com’s Alyson Footer chased down a few Astros rumors today.
- The Astros’ chances at Miguel Tejada were graded a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10 yesterday. Now they’re at a 0. So, that’s that.
- Mark Loretta has until Friday to decide whether to accept the team’s offer of arbitration. He may not want to accept since he wants a full-time job. His agent contacted Ed Wade about that today. Dan O’Dowd suggested that the Astros "got him back."
Reagins Clears Things Up
Angels GM Tony Reagins recently held court with the media to debunk most of the Angels rumors swirling about recently.
- The Angels are not currently in the mix for Johan Santana. Reagins spoke to Bill Smith last night, but not about Johan.
- The Angels haven’t met with the Orioles, so there haven’t been discussions about Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada at the Meetings.
- Reagins wasn’t involved much with Miguel Cabrera before the Tigers snagged him.
- On the less boring front, Reagins said "some interesting and exciting things have surfaced" with surprising new teams. Get your speculating caps on.